Chapter 1072

How small were they? About the length of a pinky finger, but as thin as paper. Carissa casually grabbed a handful and threw them; the tiny daggers sank deep into the wall. The daggers themselves lacked inherent power, but their willow-leaf shape and thinness, combined with inner force, made them incredibly effective.

Carissa wasn't surprised. She could throw leaves or flowers with similar precision and power, although the damage wouldn't compare to a throwing knife—far more deadly. She recalled a visit from her third and seventh uncles at Meadow Ridge, when Adrian was experimenting with concealed weapons. Still in early training, she'd lamented the lack of a hidden weapon that was both easy to use and lethally effective.

A memory struck her. Her expression changed; she quickly retrieved the bracelet, added more needles from a syringe to the ruby's small opening, closed it, and pressed the sapphire. Two sharp hisses announced the steel needles' launch, embedding themselves in the wooden beam above. Had she targeted an enemy, they would have struck with lightning speed, too fast for a reaction.

Dazed, tears streamed down her face. This was exactly what she'd told Wade: a hidden weapon, powerful without relying on inner force, usable even when gravely injured—a tool for vengeance. Wade had actually created it. She'd only spoken casually, aware of the difficulty in crafting such a concealed weapon, especially one disguised as jewelry. She sobbed aloud.

Outside, Rafael heard the earlier throwing daggers, but the needles' launch was silent. Carissa's crying, however, was unmistakable. "Carissa, what's wrong?" he called anxiously.

Chapter 1072

Carissa wiped her tears, opened the door, and displayed the bracelet, its surface catching the light as she waved it. "This is a gift from my seventh uncle, Uncle Wade."

Rafael's sharp eyes immediately noted the bracelet's altered appearance—a seemingly innocuous crack was actually a hidden clasp concealing a mechanism. "It holds steel needles," Carissa exclaimed, pulling him inside. She quickly loaded it to maximum capacity—over twenty needles.

The bracelet's round design accommodated the slightly flexible steel needles. The clasp bent them; upon release, they sprang straight, the snapback adding to their force. Carissa tested it, aiming upward, but slightly missed her mark.

Rafael adjusted the sapphire, shifting it an inch. This time, the needles flew straight and true. "So, if an enemy is in front of me, the sapphire shouldn't point directly at them? It needs to be offset by an inch?" Carissa asked.

"Exactly. If aimed directly..." Rafael explained.

Carissa laid the bracelet flat, adjusted its direction, and triggered it. Instead of flying straight, the needles arced back toward her. If aimed directly at an enemy, the needles would loop back to the wearer. The added tension from the bend intensified their deadliness.

"Incredible," Rafael murmured, impressed. "It's a reverse mechanism. Misalign it, and you risk injury. An enemy wouldn't know the trick; activating it would injure them."

"Why didn't Uncle Wade mention this? I could have hurt myself!" Carissa exclaimed.

Rafael frowned, doubting Wade's oversight. Searching the box, he found a piece of brocade tucked beneath a smaller box. It revealed a fabric-covered letter dense with handwritten notes. "It's a letter from your seventh uncle," Rafael said, handing it to her gently. "Do you want to read it?"